JIM PATTISON GROUP
Stock: Private
Sector: The automotive industry, media, agricultural equipment, food and beverage, real estate
CEO: Jim Pattison
B.C. employees: 23,900
Revenue: $14 billion
The Jim Pattison Group is a privately held holding company that manages a diverse portfolio of companies involved in a variety of sectors, including the automotive industry, media, agricultural equipment, food and beverage and real estate. Headed by founder and CEO Jim Pattison, the company has annual revenue in excess of $14 billion. Its British Columbian employment base has grown 24.8 per cent over the past five years to 23,900 employees. During that same time, the company’s revenue grew 45.8 per cent.
WALMART
Stock: NYSE:WMT
Sector: Retail
CEO: Doug McMillon
B.C. employees: 12,000
Revenue: US$559 billion
Market cap: US$360.9 billion
The multinational retail giant Walmart pulled in US$559 billion in revenue last year, up 11.1 per cent and roughly US$73 billion from 2017. In 2021, Walmart generated more revenue than any other company in the world. The company has a current market cap of US$360.9 billion. CEO Horacio Barbeito led the Canadian arm of the multinational company until earlier this year. In July, executive vice-president JP Suarez took over on an interim basis. Walmart is one of the largest employers in British Columbia with 12,000 employees in 2022, up 19 per cent from 2018. In April, the company built a $175 million distribution centre in Surrey that employs 250 people. The new facility stores and supplies grocery goods to B.C.’s 45 Walmart locations.
AMAZON
Stock: Nasdaq:AMZN
Sector: Tech, e-commerce, cloud computing, artificial intelligence
CEO: Andy Jassy
B.C. employees: 10,000
Revenue: US$469.8 billion
Market cap: US$1.23 trillion
Amazon’s US$469.8 billion in revenue ranked it the world’s third-highest revenue generating company in 2021, behind only Walmart and Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL:2222). The company’s revenue has jumped 164.1 per cent over the past five years from US$231 billion in 2017. The company has a market cap of US$1.23 trillion. Amazon currently employs 10,000 people in British Columbia. It nearly doubled its Vancouver footprint over 2021. The company is being led by a relatively new CEO. Andy Jassy took the job over from founder Jeff Bezos in July 2021. In May 2021, the company revealed plans to hire 2,000 employees in B.C., and in June it announced plans to hire an additional 1,800 employees in Canada split between its Toronto and Vancouver offices. The company is also opening a $65 million facility on Vancouver Island that will employ an estimated 6,000 people.
TELUS
Stock: TSX:T
Sector: Telecommunications, telehealth
CEO: Darren Entwistle
B.C. employees: 8,000
Revenue: $17.3 billion
Market cap: $38.7 billion
The Vancouver-headquartered telecommunications company continues to be a major employer in the city. Under the helm of CEO Darren Entwistle, Telus generated revenue of $17.3 billion in 2021 and has a current market cap of $38.7 billion. Its revenue has risen 29.7 per cent over the past five years, growing from $13.3 billion in 2017. In British Columbia, Telus employs 8,000 people, up only slightly from the 7,900 it employed five years ago. In May, the company announced plans to spend $17.5 billion in B.C. over the next four years to roll out 5G infrastructure across the province. Telus says its investment will add 5,500 jobs in the province, making it the second-largest national and global employer in B.C. The company is also expanding its Telus Health telehealth portfolio with the acquisition of the Ontario based LifeWorks Inc., formerly known as Morneau Shepell, in a deal worth an estimated $2.9 billion.
RBC
Stock: TSX:RY
Sector: Banking
CEO: David McKay
B.C. employees: 7,196
Revenue: $49.7 billion
Market cap: $176.7 billion
The Royal Bank of Canada is not the only bank on Business in Vancouver’s top national and global companies list, but it is the biggest bank employer in B.C. With nearly 7,200 employees, it has 63.4 per cent more employees than the next largest bank in the province. Under the helm of David McKay, the company has grown its market cap to $176.7 billion. The Royal Bank’s revenue has grown 22.2 per cent over the past five years to $49.7 billion in 2021 from $40.7 billion in 2017. Over the past year alone, Royal Bank’s revenue increased 16.7 per cent after falling the year before. Last month, the Royal Bank closed a deal to buy U.K. wealth management firm Dolphin Holdings PLC for $2.4 billion.
